Mommy Moments
A Healthy New Year
By Melanie Lewis
“No Child Left on Their Behind” – this is a movement sweeping the country to get kids up off the couch and from behind the computer and video games to get moving. The key to success of the program isn’t the schools or teachers. The key to the success of getting kids active, in my opinion, are the parents. Parents are a role model. Ever find your kids repeating what you’ve said? Then you know exactly what I mean by being an influence on the formative years. So, we stop and ask ourselves what are we doing to show that we take care of ourselves? Do I smoke? Do I take time to prepare healthy meals and snacks? Do I exercise regularly? Do I take my kids with me on bike rides, roller-blading or swimming? If you’re in the habit of thinking a fun afternoon activity is going to the movies, it may take a bit more effort to launch into a new habit of going to the park or a game of baseball in the backyard. “First we make our habits, then our habits make us,” says Charles C. Noble. Make a healthier family by making healthier habits.
One way to determine exactly how you fall in the activity scale is to keep an activity journal for a week for each member of the family. In that journal, whether it’s a formal spreadsheet or back of an envelope, note the number of minutes by day. What studies have found is that people generally over estimate how much they’ve exercised.
Similarly, people tend to underestimate what they’ve eaten. Keep an accurate and honest list of the daily eats. You may find, like many counting Points Plus values or calories that they can consume a lot more than they think in a day.
“Food is love,” another mom stated, as were talking about the holiday eating and vast amounts of food. She couldn’t keep herself out of the Oreo cookies and found herself with her face in the bag whenever there was procrastination to be done. She said she HAD to have them for her kids. Why? She said because they were a way of saying she loved them. She associated food with being loved and a feeling of home. Needless to say, her doctor had told her to lose 40 pounds and her parents were both overweight she admitted. You’ll never guess… the pediatrician informed her that her kids needed to lose weight too. For some this may be “tough love” on the parents. According to Bette Davis, “Discipline is a symbol of caring to a child. He needs guidance. If there is love, there is no such thing as being too tough with a child. A parent must also not be afraid to hang himself. If you have never been hated by your child, you have never been a parent.”
The obvious answer to me was . . . just don’t buy Oreos. If they are not in the house you won’t be tempted. I banned Goldfish crackers after finding them too irresistible for me. There was some whining, but we found as long as a banana or an apple were present, that was just as easily consumed. The media has increased the attention on a national obesity epidemic. From the Freelibrary.com, “So far, a combination of factors are known to contribute to obesity and diabetes: Lack of physical activity, general sedentary behavior, low socioeconomic status, poor eating habits, and over-exposure to advertising of foods that are high in calories are all implicated.
However, I would say it has little to do with advertising for Happy Meals; the parents hold the wallet and the authority to determine what their children eat. Albert Einstein wrote, “Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will – his personal responsibility.” If you find happy meals a problem, you don’t need to stop at a fast food place. When on the run, plan ahead with a cooler of sandwiches, fruit and water. Your wallet will also thank you for getting everyone nutritious food. By continuing to ramp up your activity and make nutritious food choices, I wish you all a healthier New Year!
Melanie is the mother of 2 boys, 5 and 7 years old. They have a Ragdoll, named Percy and a Golden Retriever, named Rosie. She works part-time as a weight-loss consultant and is an independent Silpada Jewelry Representative: http:/mysilpada.com/melanie.lewis